Occupy Wall Street: Readers reflect

As a scientist, I look at the empirical evidence, so I couldn’t help but note that when the Reader Forum author of “Compare and contrast” (Oct. 12) compares the so-called peaceful tea party demonstrations to those leftists who Occupy Wall Street, I’d like to know what planet he is on.

I’ve seen video of police pepper-spraying peaceful protesters occupying Wall Street in the eyes, clubbing them along with journalists. I remember when the tea party movement started, people were shouting at their members of Congress, bricks were tossed into windows of congressmen and women who supported health care reform. I remember tea party members holding racist signs, often misspelled.

Contrast this reality with the fantasy that some on the right live. Isn’t a patriot someone who supports our Constitution and the ideals of our country? I’d say those Occupying Wall Street were doing just that. They are exercising the right of the people to peacefully assemble, to address our grievances of rising poverty and unemployment in this age of greed. When corporations cut jobs while making a profit and enrich multimillionaire CEOs, something is fundamentally wrong.

Phil Lipari, Colonia

Earn your own money

To protest is one of our rights, but do these Occupy Wall Street protesters who claim to be fine, upstanding citizens of this country agree to help clean up the mess that they have created?

The protesters can lay blame for their lack of wealth in several places — blame themselves or blame their parents because they were not wealthy.

I am not a wealthy person, I don’t condemn those who have been successful and I don’t expect them to share their wealth with me.